Blessed are the persecuted:

Introduction:

Last week we talk about what it means to be a Peacemaker, what does peacemaker mean, how we as Christians need to strive to be a peacemaker, and The reward of being a Peacemaker. Today we are going over the last part of the Beatitudes, and what Christ was trying to teach the early followers. Lets turn in our Bibles to Mt 5:10-12

Matthew 5:10–12 NKJV

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So we are going to be looking at what persecution means, how we as Christians come under persecution, and how do we overcome persecution.

What does mean to be persecuted for Righteousness:

So, for our first point for today is what does it mean to be persecuted. if we look at our main couple of verse in Mt 5:10-12

Matthew 5:10–12 NKJV

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

we see this word repeated couple of times within these verses. the key word is Persecuted or Persecution. what does it mean? what does Christ mean by Blessed are those who are Persecuted? Google definition of Persecution is someone who is hostility, or someone who treats someone else with ill-treatment on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or peoples political belief. As Christians we understand that we are under attack by the world. The world makes people believe that Christians are no longer under persecution, which is far from the true. through the Scriptures of the Bible and the history we see the persecution of the God’s people. Even God’s own son Jesus Christ was persecuted by the Jews leaders. Remember the healings of Jesus Christ. Let turn in our Bibles to John 5:10-16

John 5:10–16 NKJV

10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” 12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.

From this passage in the Gospel of John we see that Jesus did what was good even though it was on the sabbath a day of rest which is held in high regards in the Jewish Culture because Jesus preformed a miracle of healing also consider working in the eyes of the Jews they sought persecution for Jesus and his Apostles. Even Jesus Christ had warn his Apostles and followers about the Persecution will come because of the truth. Lets turn in our Bibles to Lk 21:10-13

Luke 21:10–13 NKJV

10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. 13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.

From this passage here in the Gospel of Luke, we see that Christ is warning his disciples about the fall of Rome, and how they will come before leaders of nations, how they will bear witness to things concerning Christ. even today we as Christians are persecuted because of our own faith in Christ. we do not have look any farther then the book of Acts. Lets turn in our Bible to Acts 22:1-4

Acts 22:1–4 NKJV

1 “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” 2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said: 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

From this passage in Acts we see that Paul who is talking about his formal life as a Pharisee, where he would persecute the early Christians those who follow Christ. he would go into towns pulling fathers, mothers, sons and daughters out who claim to be followers of Christ took them to prison, some of them may have died because of their faith for God and Christ. from the book of Acts we see a villain become hero kind of thing. Persecution could mean anything from hostility to point of death.

How do we as Christians come under Persecution.

Now that we have an understanding of persecution. This leads us to our second point for today how do we as Christians come under or handle persecution? today the world in some areas Christians are persecuted, and killed for their belief in God and Christ. Here in the State we are slowly seeing persecution against Christians in our belief in God and Christ. Christ had warn his Disciples about how the world hated him first in John 15:18-20

John 15:18–20 NKJV

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

From this passage here in gospel of John we see the warning that Christ gives to his disciples and followers, about how the world hates those who follow God, and Christ. we also see that how the world loves it own. Lets turn in our Bible to 2nd Tim 3:11-13

2 Timothy 3:11–13 NKJV

11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

From this passage in the 2nd letter to Timothy we see that Paul explain on how Christians come under persecution is because of their faith in God and Christ. Those who do the will of God. those who trust in and obey in the words of God. Even today there are people who teach on God, and Christ, and eventually it could cost them their very own life. here in the States right now we see a mild verse of persecution. here in the states we see name calling or we see people of the world curse us (cussing), or giving out rude hand gestures. We have even begin to see Preachers send to prison under the COVID pandemic. Once a person accepts and understand that being a Christian is a lifestyle they will recognize that they cannot live a worldly lifestyle. remember how Paul in his early life as Saul persecuted Christians. As Christians we see that throughout most of the epistles Paul writes, at some point had to defend himself as a Christian. even here in 2nd Tim 3:11. From this Paul face persecution from three different sides, from the Jews, Gentles and even Christians. Paul had to defend himself against other believers. Paul is a great example how Christians are persecuted, but the better example is Christ himself. From this we as Christians understand that we are persecuted because of our belief, and faith in God, and Christ.

How do we overcome Persecution?

Now that we understand reasoning behind our persecution. How do we as Christians overcome persecution? well the first thing we must remember is that Christ has command us to love those who persecute us. lets turn in our Bibles to Mt 5:44

Matthew 5:43–44 NKJV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

From these two verse here, we see that this still within the sermon on the mound. Christ is teaching on how we as Christians need to love those who despise us, who hate us, who persecute us. we can overcome persecution from the world with the love that comes from God, and Christ. Lets turn in our Bibles to James 1:2-5

James 1:2–5 NKJV

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.